I. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the operation of transportation and delivery vehicles, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for providing hours of service management for operators and administrators of delivery vehicles.
II. Description of the Related Art
Advances in technology have provided for increased automation in many industries. For example, in the shipping industry, technology has allowed for the shipment and delivery of cargo virtually around the clock. Delivery vehicles now carry and deliver cargo to all parts of the country. For example, in the trucking industry, cargo-carrying tractor-trailers may be driven hundreds or thousands of miles to reach a delivery site. In some cases, a delivery vehicle may make several intermediate stops before reaching its final destination. Unfortunately, extensive delivery schedules place a huge burden on vehicle operators. Thus, it has become increasingly important to efficiently manage the hours of service performed by vehicle operators.
Typically, the hours that a vehicle operator may operate a vehicle are regulated by state and federal agencies. For example, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have adopted regulations that limit the number of hours that a vehicle operator may operate a vehicle over a given time period. For example, the regulations cover how long an operator may operate a vehicle in a day and over a sixty hour time period. The regulations also cover the amount of rest time a vehicle operator needs to have. To ensure compliance with the regulations, vehicle operators are required to maintain logbooks, which may be periodically inspected for compliance.
Unfortunately, compliance with the regulations is for the most part based on the ability of the vehicle operator to understand the regulations and maintain the required logs. New and/or relatively young vehicle operators may not fully understand all aspects of the regulations, or may be prone to mistakes with regards to maintaining the logs or complying with the regulations. Furthermore, vehicle operators may not understand how the regulations impact the delivery schedule or load planning associated with the vehicle. For example, by failing to take long enough rest breaks, the operation of the vehicle may be limited on the following day. Thus, the intelligence, experience, and diligence of the vehicle operator determine not only the compliance with the safety regulations, but the load planning and efficient use of the delivery vehicle.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system that not only assists a vehicle operator to comply with the safety regulations, but also operates to advise the vehicle operator about the impact of specific actions with regards to the planning and efficient use of the delivery vehicle. For example, the system should operate to advise a vehicle operator whether or not a specific action is desirable based the history of the vehicle operator's actions and/or the load planning, efficiency, or requirements of a particular delivery schedule.